Wednesday, April 25, 2007

This story from the land of fox hunting was sent by a regular reader. The horror of having an artist move in next door is gripping the Cotswolds in the UK. Yes, it’s Damien Hirst again. This time he wants to install an abattoir rail in one of his studios so the carcasses he intends to dip in formaldehyde can be more easily moved through the process. Unfortunately his studio is overlooked by the home of a committed vegetarian. “Most people here are quite horrified that there are going to be dead animals there,“ Vicky Radwell told the Guardian newspaper. The local council is more relaxed. A district council planner told the paper there would be no slaughter of animals at the new studio but carcasses brought there by truck would be handled using the abattoir rail. A petition has been launched and placards posted around the studio.Image: Damien Hirst with dead shark